For some unknown reason, many are saying that the following for boxing is slowly disappearing. They are saying that boxing is a dying sport, but this not really the case. The truth is that boxing is getting stronger than ever.
In fact, boxing remains to be the King of Pay-Per-View.
Former HBO Sports marketing executive Evan Rutkowski talked about how boxing isn’t really in decline. Rutkowski said, “The traditional mainstream media talking point is that boxing was in decline and has an aging, less relevant demographic. That narrative has started to change as networks have started to see the kind of viewership that boxing can bring.”
When it comes to sports betting, boxing is still one of the wagered sports of many. Every time a boxing match between elite players is up and coming, bookmakers are busy taking bets from people all over the United States and even the world. Bovada is one of the best online bookies out there where you can place your boxing bets. You can check the Bovada review from NostraBet to know more.
Sure, the sports industry is a bit injured because of the health crisis that the world is dealing with but it is slowly coming back. And once boxing matches are on once again, it is expected that more people will be wagering on it.
This is especially the case in the United States because a little over two years ago, the Supreme Court of the United States has stricken down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act or PASPA of 1992. It has been over two years ago since sports betting has finally become federally legal in the US.
Boxing promoter Bob Arum has something to say about this. Arum said in an interview, “I really think the kind of business that’s going to be done now with legal sports gambling is going to be absolutely tremendous.”
Rutkowski is also optimistic about the future of boxing and gambling together in the United States. He said, “I think this ruling (on PASPA) can only be good for sports on the whole, but everyone involved needs to temper expectations here. As for actual gambling on the fights, I think that it can be a fun way for core fans to enjoy the action better, but we’re still ways out on it making a major impact. That being said, there is certainly a market for it and hopefully, it contributes to fans outside of Nevada enjoying the sport more.”
He also talked about how TV executives already know how boxing is still doing great and that it has a very diverse audience. They know that it is not impossible for the boxing betting market to become a major one in the US.
“There’s no denying that people who gamble on a fight are much more likely to watch it live or on TV. The UK has terrific live audiences for boxing, and while there are many contributing factors to their impressive attendance numbers, the wide availability of gambling on fights is probably one of them,” Rutkowski elaborated.
PPV sales of boxing events are also on an upward trend since the 1990s. In the 90s, the core boxing PPV audience is at .54 percent. Since 2010, this percentage increased to .5 percent. This means that the number of people who would purchase a PPV boing match up is between 1.7 and 1.9 million.
Matches with modern-day boxers like Floyd Mayweather Jr., Adrien Broner, and Manny Pacquiao are the ones that people would likely purchase for PPV. Times right now are just really different from how it was during the reign of previous boxing generation stars like Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, and Evander Holyfield. Back then, people weren’t as willing to but PPVs with their matches.
Based on Business Insider’s list of the 51 best-selling PPV fight events in history, boxing holds 8 of the top 10 spots. This is while making up the largest total volume of events overall at 27. What followed is the MMA with 15 events and WWE with 9 events.
This is why boxing has been growing instead of it dying contrary to what the mainstream media is saying about it. It is still more popular than mixed martial arts and wrestling. When it comes to popularity, only a few countries stand out. Countries South Africa, Mexico, France, Ukraine, United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and the Philippines.
